noun
shade under a tree in full leaf
Poetic, literary word for the deep shade beneath a tree thick with summer leaves. Often used in classical or evocative contexts.
木の暗に涼を求めて腰を下ろした。
I sat down in the shade of the tree, seeking coolness.
noun
Rare, poetic metonymy: the season of deep leafy shade stands for summer itself. Found mainly in classical poetry.
和歌では「木の暗」が夏の季語として詠まれることがある。
In waka poetry, 木の暗 is sometimes used as a seasonal word for summer.
Compound of 木 (tree) + の (possessive particle) + 暗 (darkness). The reading このくれ is a rendaku form of 木 (こ) + の + 暗れ (くれ, from 暗れる 'to grow dark'). The word evokes the deep shade under a tree in full summer leaf.